1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to quick connectors and, more specifically, to retainer elements employed in quick connectors.
2. Description of the Art
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial applications. In a typical quick connector, a retainer is fixedly mounted within a bore in a housing of a female connector component. The retainer has a plurality of radially extending latch fingers which extend inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the bore in the housing. A tube or fitting to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange, the rear surface of which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer latch fingers. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top head are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the tube when the tube is lockingly engaged with the retainer latch fingers.
The latch fingers in the prior art retainers typically have an enlarged cross section at the end of the latch finger connected to the arcuate connecting leg and a narrower or smaller cross section at an opposite end spaced from the annular base or collar of the retainer. The generally cantilevered shape of the pair of latch fingers requires a complex mold generally formed of two mold halves and a slider which forms the open interior of the retainer and the inner surface of the latch fingers.
In a typical molding process, after the plastic material has been injected into the mold to form the retainer, the mold halves are separated enabling the retainer to be removed from the slider. However, the thin nature of the latch fingers and their cantilevered configuration frequently causes the latch fingers to stick to the mold halves when the mold halves are opened. This can cause deformation of the latch fingers which results in a scrap retainer.
Further, the thickness of the latch fingers from end to end is generally nonuniform. The thicker end of the latch fingers at the attachment point to the arcuate connecting leg is difficult to mold and frequently results in bubbles or voids in the molded material again resulting in a reject or scrap retainer.
Thus, it would desirable to provide a latch finger construction for a quick connect retainer which overcomes the problems encountered in previous quick connect retainers. It would also be desirable to provide a latch finger construction for a quick connect retainer which eliminates sticking of the latch fingers from the mold halves when the mold halves are opened. It would also be desirable to provide a latch finger construction for a quick connect retainer which minimizes deformation of the latch fingers when the mold is opened to reduce scrap or reject retainers. It would also be desirable to provide a latch finger construction for a quick connect retainer which has a more uniform wall thickness throughout the length of each latch finger provide a more uniform shrinkage along the length of each latch finger. It would also be desirable to provide a latch finger construction for a quick connect retainer which achieves the above goals without requiring significant design modification to the conventional latch finger and/or retainer construction.
The present invention is an improved retainer for a quick connector which overcomes problems encountered in molding previously devised quick connector retainers.
The retainer of the present invention includes an annular base having an aperture for receiving one end of one of two conduits therethrough. Two pair of leg members extend axially from the base. Each pair of leg members are joined together at an opposite end by a collar. A latch finger extends angularly from one end of each leg member to an inner end radially inward, the inner end forming an abutment surface engagable with an annular flange on the conduit to lockingly join the two conduits together when the retainer is mounted in the housing.
A recess is formed on an inner surface of each latch finger, facing the recess on the opposed latch finger. The recess is engagable with complimentary projections on a mold part, such as a mold slide used to form the hollow interior of the retainer, during separation of the mold halves from the molded retainer to ensure that the latch fingers remain in position until fully hardened. This minimizes scrap retainers previously caused by sticking of the latch fingers to the mold halves during separation of the mold halves.
The recess also provides a more constant cross-sectional thickness between opposed ends for each latch finger thereby ensuring optimum molding of each latch finger to minimize the creation of voids or bubbled areas in the latch finger which previously led to increased scrap retainers.